Raleigh Avel has had moderate success with her jewellery shop, but when she is robbed, she has to face the new lawmen on Elsinor. She wouldn’t have bothered, but she had no way to dispose of the body. Azeel, Raf and Hector weren’t too sure about taking a post on a world ruled by formality and concealing clothing, but they were drawn to it despite their misgivings. Investigating a dead body at a break-in is par for their course, finding the weapon that killed the robber is the problem. It has violet eyes, long black hair, and…they begin to suspect…a wild rose tattoo.

Excerpt:

"Thank you for your business." Raleigh bowed low. Mrs. Tanfel was one of her parents’ best customers and it was a relief for Raleigh to get the coins in exchange for a set of charms for her client’s grandchildren.

Selling off the contents of the shop was hard, but with her father dead, no one would believe that she was the master craftsman. Her family home on the lake north of the city was enough for her to live out her life and once the stock was gone, she could go there to get away from the lascivious eyes of the prince.

She bowed Mrs. Tanfel out of the shop and locked the door behind her. It was time to close up and get a meal on the way home to her rented rooms.

She took the imperial gems out of the safe and hid them within her sash. Half of the day’s coin into the safe and the rest with her. They were safer with her than in the unmanned shop and since her parent’s death, the guard that normally watched the shop in the evenings disappeared. She turned quickly when a knock sounded on the door panel. "We are closed. Come again tomorrow, please."

"Please, miss, it is an urgent matter. I have offended my wife and need a gift to mend the breach."

The masculine voice was low in tone and Raleigh couldn’t help but grin. It was a common request late in the day. "If you promise to be quick, come in." She unlatched the door and slid the panels aside.

She looked up to see a man in imperial livery just before his fist crashed on the side of her skull. Raleigh lay dazed as she struggled to stay awake. Her body surged with adrenaline as the man in the uniform went through the displays, smashing and destroying the broaches, pendants and earrings that she had made with her own two hands.

Her flesh crackled with energy and when she tried to sit up, he came for her. The tiny exposed piece of skin between his trousers and shoes was enough for her. She lunged and he screamed as his body was racked with a lightning strike.

Her tattoos throbbed and head ached. Raleigh Avel lay back on the floor next to the dead man in imperial livery. Too bad she didn’t have time to get rid of the body, this was going to get attention.

She let the world slide away as the satisfaction of her revenge burned in her veins. No one messed with Raleigh Avel and lived to tell the tale.